1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery utilizing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
The battery characteristics of rechargeable lithium batteries recently under extensive development and research, such as charge-discharge voltage, charge-discharge cycle life characteristics and storage characteristics, depend largely upon the types of the electrodes used. This has led to the various attempts to better battery characteristics by improving electrode active materials.
The use of metallic lithium for the negative active material enables construction of batteries which exhibit high energy densities per weight and volume. However, the lithium deposited during charge grows into dendrite, which could cause problematic internal short-circuiting.
On the other hand, rechargeable lithium batteries are reported (Solid State Ionics, 113-115, p57(1998)) using an electrode composed of aluminum, silicon, tin or the like which alloys electrochemically with lithium during charge.
The inventors of this application have previously found that an electrode including a current collector such as a copper foil and a thin film deposited thereon by an electrolytic plating process and composed of tin or the like which can alloy with lithium provides a high charge-discharge capacity and exhibits relatively good cycle characteristics when it is incorporated in a rechargeable lithium battery.
However, if such an electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery is to be more practical, its cycle performance characteristics must be further improved.